Clasp.



T. G. LUGE.

CLASP.

AYPLIGATION FILED APR. 15.1908.

933,190, I Patented Sept 7, 1909.

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ATENT onnrc THOMAS .C. LUCE, 0F DALTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Sept. 7, 1999.

Application filed April 15, 1908. Serial No. 427,186.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. Loon, ofl

Dalton, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Clasps, of which the following is a full, clear, andexactdescription.

My invention relates to improvements in clasps. 1 I

The object of my invention is to produce a cheap, strong and simpleclasp which is especially adapted for use in fastening the ends of ahorse collar together, and which when so used is constructed in such away that the hame strap will effectually prevent the unlocking of theclasp. The invention, however, can be applied to other meeting parts,and affords a simple and secure fastening which can be convenientlyoperated.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar reference characters indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the clasp embodying my invention,showing the same as applied to a horse collar. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe device as applied to a horse collar and shows the hame strap in aposition to lock the clasp. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 38 ofFig. 2, showing the clasp in detail. Fig. 4 is a detail side elevationof the clasp, andFig. 5 is a detail of the catch which forms a part ofthe clasp.

The clasp is provided with opposed plates 2 and 3 which I have shownattached to 0pposite parts and meeting ends of the horse collar 1. Theplate 3 is turned down as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, at the end next to theplate 2, so as to properly guide the free end of the plate 2 ashereinafter described, and the plates 2 and 3 are firmly secured to thehorse collar by rivets 12 and 13. The plates 2 and 3 are preferably ofsheet metal, and the. protruding end of the plate 2 is preferably ofspring metal. The plate 3 is further secured to the collar by lips 4through which extend rivets which serve to hold it in place. At itsfront end the plate 3 is provided with a socket member or housing 5,.which is open at the ends, and which is made preferably of the samesheet metal which composes the plate 3, and it has its front end bentdown as shown at 8 to form a better support for the catch 7 which isflat, and extends transversely through openings 15 in the sides of thesocket member or housing 5,

these openings 15 being wedge shaped with their narrow edges toward thefront of the socket member 5, and the catch 7 can have its inner edgeraised or lowered in the said openings 15. The catch 7 has a lip 7 atits inner edge, which is turned down to engage the notches 10 in thefree end of the plate 2, this free end being bent up slightly as shownat 11 so as to be on a slightly dilferent plane from the body of theplate 2, thus enabling it to easily enter the socket member 5. One endof the catch 7 is also provided with a lip 7 which prevents it frombeing displaced in one direction. At. its opposite end which protrudesfrom the socket member 5, the catch 7 is widened as shown at 6, andprovided with an upturned flange 9. This widened member 6 is adapted tocome be-.

neath the hame strap of the collar as shown in Fig. 2, and thus when thehame strap is in place, the catch is held securely with the lip 7 a inengagement with one of the notches 10 in the free end of the plate 2, sothat the free end of the plate is locked in position and the two partsof the collar held securely in place.

To prevent the free end of the plate 2 from following up the catch 7when the inner edge of the latter is raised, an abutment 14: is placedin the top of the member 5 and projects downward into the same so as tostrike the free end of the plate 2 as shown clearly in Fig. 1. Thisabutment 14 can be formed in any convenient way, but an easy and simplemethod is to simply cut into the top of the member 5 and turn down themetal to form the abutment 14. It will be seen that when the two membersof the clasp are brought together, the catch 7 will securely lock them.

It will of course be understood that some of the details of theconstruction which I have described, may be departed from more or lesswithout affecting the principle of the invention, the essential thing ofwhich is the socket member, the notched plate to enter the same, and thetransverse catch arranged substantially as shown, together with the hamestrap for locking the same.

I have shown my improved clasp applied to a horse collar, as it isespecially adapted to this use, but I do not limit it to such usebecause obvioflsly the clasp can be used for holding together othermeeting parts as well as the ends of a horse collar.

Having thus fully described my invention, 1 claim as neW and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent 1. A fastening of the kind described,comprising a socket member adapted to be secured to the top of a horsecollar near one of its meeting edges, said socket member having aprojecting curved lip, an inturned abutment on the top of the socketmember,

- a tilting latch member arranged transversely in the socket member andprovided with an engaging lip and an outwardly protruding flattenedportion to engage a hame strap, and a spring plate secured to theopposite member of the collar and having its free end provided withnotched edges, said plate being constructed to enter the socket memberbeneathv the abutment and in engagement with the tilting or latch memberin said socket.

2. A fastening device of the kind described, comprising opposed membersadapted for attachment to the outside of a horse collar at the meetingparts thereof, one member comprising an open ended socket or housinghaving a downwardly projecting abutment in the top thereof, and avertically swinging latch member transversely arranged m the housing andhaving a flattened outer portion adapted to extend beneath a membertherein and adapted to be retained in a predetermined position by astrap around said collar sections, a spring plate on the other of saidcollar sections, having notches for engagement with said tilting member,and a stop in said casing adapted A to engage the said spring plate uponthe partial tilting of said tilting member, to allow the latter to bedisengaged therefrom.

THOMAS C. LUCIE. lVitnesses OSCAR M. SOHILLINGER, JOHN B. lVooDBURN.

